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Monday, December 30, 2013

Review: Beyond the Bear by Dan Bigley and Debra McKinney

Title: Beyond the Bear: How I Learned to Live and Love Again after Being Blinded by a Bear
Author: Dan Bigley and Debra McKinney
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Lyons Press
Publish Date: April 2, 2013
Source: Borrowed from a friend

Why You're Reading This Book:

You're a non-fiction fan.

You don't mind tough subjects.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "A 25-year-old
backcountry wanderer, a man happiest exploring wild places with his dog,
Dan Bigley woke up one midsummer morning to a day full of promise.
Before it was over, after a stellar day of salmon fishing along Alaska’s
Kenai and Russian rivers, a grizzly came tearing around a corner in the
trail. Dan barely had time for “bear charging” to register before it
had him on the ground, altering his life forever.

Until
then, one thing after another had fallen into place in Dan’s life. He
had a job he loved taking troubled kids on outdoor excursions. He had
just bought a cabin high in the Chugach Mountains with a view that went
on forever. He was newly in love. After a year of being intrigued by a
woman named Amber, they had just spent their first night together. All
of this was shattered by the mauling that nearly killed him, that left
him blind and disfigured.

Facing paralyzing pain and
inconceivable loss, Dan was in no shape to be in a relationship. He and
Amber let each other go. Five surgeries later, partway into his long
healing journey, they found their way back to each other. The couple’s
unforgettable story is one of courage, tenacious will, and the power of
love to lead the way out of darkness. Dan Bigley’s triumph over tragedy
is a testament to the ability of the human spirit to overcome physical
and emotional devastation, to choose not just to live, but to live
fully."

My Two Cents:

I went to Alaska fairly
recently and before I went I had a ton of people tease me about getting
eaten by a bear. One of my co-workers lent me this book after I had gone
to Alaska and I have to say that I was very happy that I read this book
after I went on my trip. I would have been absolutely terrified! This
book is the memoir of Dan Bigley, a gentleman who was attacked by a bear
and was lucky to be alive afterwards. I love memoirs that show courage
in the face of adversity and this book definitely fits that bill.

This
is a story of strength and resilience. Bigley was an avid outdoorsman
and fisher so to have his life changed so much was difficult. He was
blinded by the bear and basically had to relearn a lot of different
skills in order to be able to still be independent. This book explores
his entire journey from just before he was attacked to his life
afterward. I loved following his journey.

This book also has a
really beautiful love story in it. Just before he is attacked by a bear,
he begins dating Amber, a woman who seems to be perfectly cut out for
living in the beautiful but harsh Alaskan wilderness. They hadn't been
dating all that long and when Bigley gets attacked, I'm sure there's a
lot of women who wouldn't want to have to deal with all of the fallout
but Amber steps up to the plate and is there 100% for Dan. I really
liked this love story a lot.

The writing of the book was pretty
good. While the book sometimes takes some jogs away from the action of
the story, overall this book moves pretty fast. I recommend this book if
you're looking for an exciting memoir and a true survivor story.

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About Me

I have always loved to read. I decided to get into book blogging to share the books I love with other fellow readers! For any questions, comments, concerns or just to chat, shoot me an email at abookishaffair(at)gmail(dot)com ! I usually respond to emails quickly!
All opinions on this blog are my own, regardless of where I got the book!